In healthcare, every journey matters.
Supply chains, including those of the NHS, are facing a growing challenge: reduce environmental impact while continuing to deliver the life-changing products that patients depend on every day.
Together with NHS Supply Chain, we turned this ambition into action through a new delivery schedule designed to reduce emissions while driving operational value.
The impact
Across NHS depots nationally, we consolidated our deliveries into one combined visit per week, with clear additional processes for urgent or exceptional order needs.
The impact of our model, both in terms of environmental and operational impact, has been extraordinary:
- 64% fewer deliveries: delivery numbers fell from 1,947 to 690 over the course of a year, with volume of products delivered remaining the same.
- 64% fewer delivery-related road miles: mileage decreased from 417,814 to 151,384 miles, with a 35% reduction in delivery-related CO₂e emissions per package.
- Time savings for NHS Inventory Management teams: the model saved an estimated 1–2 hours per week for NHS teams, equivalent to £797–£1,594 annually.
